Day one and struggling!

Yesterday was my day 1 and I did well all day (I was even under my allotted calories) until I caved and had a snack at 11pm that put me over- I wasn't hungry - the snack was calling me for 3 hours from my cupboard. Anyway, today is a new day- I have tried tea in the past to curb my cravings and it has worked- I will be trying that again today.

I agree with drinking tons of water and set your weight loss goal at 1/2 lb for a week till you get over this hump and get into a routine. ... Decide you want to do this.. then do it! ! We're right there with ya!

I've been working at this about a month now. I used to feel ravenously hungry very often. One thing that has helped me is to eat little tiny bites and chew them until they are almost nothing. It takes me over 30 minutes to eat a sandwich! BUT... I don't seem to get hungry between meals. It felt really weird at first, and I thought it wasn't working.. until I stood up and realized how full I felt. It's been amazing for me. After I eat, I wait at least a half hour before I have anything to drink and I don't drink anything with my meals. I am trying to get in that magic 8 glasses of water a day but most days I'm only getting 4-5.. it's a start! All the best to you as you begin this journey to better health and wellness!

take it one day at a time and do your best. over time, your body will adjust to fewer calories...especially if you're eating foods that give you more nutritious buck for your calorie bite (more on this in a bit). As someone suggested above, its probably best to set your goal to losing half a pound (or, at most, a pound) per week to get through the adjustment period. As you adjust, you can reduce more. If this is truly a lifestyle change for you, then working your way into the journey slowly will be worth it.

as far as getting more nutritious buck for your calorie bite, I recommend eating lean protein (i.e., chicken, fish, ground turkey/chicken, protein mix), healthy fats (i.e., EVOO, nuts), and carbs that have a low glycemic index value with fiber (i.e., berries and veggies). If you do more of your own cooking and rely less on processed foods, chances are that you will find a nutrition plan that is both: (a) under your calorie goal; and (b) keeps you full. I would offer to have you look at my food diary, but I basically went "off the grid" from Dec. 23 through Jan. 1, didn't log most things, and ate poorly. If you go back before Dec. 23, you can get a good idea of what I do most days. You can also see links to my blog on my profile page where I have blogs on some foods that I cook...that are pretty easy to make.

feel free to add me as a friend. And be totally honest with yourself. If you screw up a meal or give into a craving just track it and move on.. Having a pal or 2 to keep you honest is a great way to be on top of your cravings.

First days are toughest. Lots of water and keep busy. Hang in there!

Hi everyone,

This is not my first time trying to eat healthily and lose a few kgs (notice my avoidance of the word diet!), but it's my first time using MFP.

Today is first day and I am desperately craving food of any stodgy variety. I can no longer tell whether I'm really hungry or not. I know it will pass as I have lost weight before (only to put it all back on) but don't remember it being this hard right at the beginning.

I don't want to eat any more as I need to make sure I have enough left for dinner.
Thanks for listening

Make sure your settings are fixed for a half a pound - yes 1/2 pound of weight loss per week.
Do this for 1 month to help you over this hump.

Too often people get all hot and bothered come Jan 1st, set unreasonable goals, then starve themselves before failing totally by March. Slow down.

Go to a half a pound and just hold that pattern for a few weeks, then go to 1 for a month, then 1 and a half, then 2, then back down to a half. The key is always to trend down without starving yourself and messing up your metabolism.

And make sure you're eating back your exercise calories.

This is really good advice. If you try to do too much at once, you'll be biting off more than you can chew (no pun intended!) and will be more likely to give up. Just start making small changes and see where that takes you.

I'd suggest getting a good heartrate monitor or a Bodybugg/BodyMedia armband (I have the BodyMedia armband). These will help you see how many calories you are burning when you work out so you know if the exercise calories you are eating back are the right amount or not. The Bodybugg/BodyMedia armbands are worn all day and night so you know how much you burn in the full 24 hour period, while a heartrate monitor is worn solely during workouts (on my BodyMedia, I zero the trip meter on the display when I start my workout, then check it when I finish my workout so I know my burn for just the workout).

Good luck!

Don't think of it as a DIET...It's a lifestyle change! :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:

Eat a good breakfast. Lots of protein and don't be afraid of fat. Cut way back on carbs, but increase substantially your fiber intake. Shoot for 30 grams daily at first and try to get it up over 40 grams eventually. For instance, oatmeal, eggs, bacon, ham, etc. will carry you from breakfast to lunch without feeling like you are starving. Lunch is a good time to get your fiber from vegetables, fruit, grains. Get some high fiber wraps or bread that have maybe 15 total carbs and 7 fiber resulting in net carbs of only 8. Forget cakes, cookies, donuts, candy and other high sugar junk.